Viva la Petit Impératrice
by KinTsubasa
Summary: The Guardian of Time has a solitary, grim future ahead for her. Even so, she keeps her composure and holds her love close to her. Who knows? Perhaps one day, the Small Empress will regain her freedom."
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_The woman practically glided through the winding halls. She was everything that every girl wanted to be like: intellectual, subtly pretty, graceful, with an austere glow. Her tanned skin and bottle green, glossy hair sparkled mysteriously through the pearly antechambers. Her violet eyes pierced everything that was in her focal view. She was wearing a tight black dress with golden chains interlacing around the waist belt, breast line, and arms. Accompanied by this was a golden chain-choker with a lavender flower pendant in the middle. Her black heels clicked across the granite floors. _

_The people around her stopped their trivial gossiping to stare at her infinite beauty. Some dared to whisper to their neighbor just how severely attractive she was. Many men turned their heads away and flushed. Women gave her flustered, envious glares, but the woman's stern eyes ignored the covetous ladies. Determined, and with a melancholic air, she waltzed up to the ticket booth. _

_The girl behind the counter gave her a startled and uncertain look, as if the woman was an alien. "H-how may I help you?" she finally asked. _

"_One ticket toHawaii please," the woman said in a curt, rhythmic voice. The woman behind the counter nodded and asked, "Full name?"_

_The woman paused briefly before replying, "Setsuna—Setsuna Meioh."_


	2. Evergreen

**Evergreen**

Setsuna sighed and studied the yellow sands and cerulean ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see. Wearing a floral patterned two-piece and handling a purple towel, Setsuna sauntered around the beach to find a clear spot. Setsuna carefully laid out her towel, and sat down. Putting on her sunglasses, and laying down, Setsuna fell asleep.

_"Papa…" the little girl's voice trailed off. The elderly man that the little girl addressed ignored her. "So Lady Nyx is dead?" inquired one of the elderly man's advisors. The little girl's eyes widened in disbelief; Nyx? Her aunt? "P-Papa?" the little girl repeated, more quietly this time. Once again, the man ignored her._

_"No, Nyx is much too clever to be killed in such a minor assassin attempt," the man replied. _

"_Lord Chronos, if I'd be so honored to address, how are you so sure?" another one of Chronos' advisors asked meekly. The little girl peered at her father in interest. _

"_I am the deity of time—I will always be sure of myself, and I will always be right," Chronos said with a glint of power in his voice. The little girl smiled widely at her father, proud to be his true daughter. "Setsuna," the older man said softly, "what is it you were trying to tell me?"_

"_Well…I was wondering if I could see mother for a bit," Setsuna said a bit sheepishly, uncertain of how her father would react. There was a long, awkward pause before Chronos replied, "Of course." A feeling of elation crept up little Setsuna's back. _

Setsuna snapped back to the present. Panting and sweating a bit, she quickly grabbed her belongings and left.


	3. Plum Blossoms

**Plum Blossoms**

Setsuna unlocked the door to her hotel room. Once she got inside, she immediately dropped her things and nearly sprinted to the balcony. She had gotten a room with the best view of the resting Mauna Kea volcano. For some reason, the majesty of the mountainous volcano made her feel thrilled, yet at the same time nostalgic. Soon, the peak of the graceful monster hypnotized Setsuna into a nap…

_"This way, Setsuna-sama," one of the palace's servants said in that creepy, robotic tone. Little Setsuna awkwardly followed the woman out to a lush garden, which was pretty much the only colorful place on all of Pluto. Little Setsuna gasped; she had never gotten used to the loveliness of this special garden._

_Healthy green grass spread widely, while cherry blossom, flowering pear, red maple, service berry, black gum, black locust, and black walnut trees seemed to grow endlessly. Daisies, asters, amaryllis, orchids, peonies, Queen Anne's laces, ranunculus, and roses bloomed in every place imaginable. In the clearing, there was a Surabaya Tea Table, with porcelain teacups and a teapot precariously set neatly. Two __Riviera Portofino chairs were slid under the table. The first chair was empty, but the second one had an elegant woman sitting in it. _

_The woman had wavy hair that trailed along the grass, the fiery red color suggesting a wild fire. She had pale, china-like skin that made Setsuna vaguely remember a doll her father had given her in the past. Her eyes were the same color as Setsuna's; an intense violet. The woman sat tall in her seat, wearing a simple white gown, which still made her look like an angel. She held a spindle in her delicate hand, while the other was lifting a cup of tea to her pastel __lips. _

"_Lady Ananke, your daughter has arrived," the servant announced in a respectful voice. Slowly, Ananke brought the cup away from her lips. "Come forth, daughter," she said in a chiming voice. Little Setsuna gulped and trudged through the moist grass to the Surabaya table. Once she was about two yards away, Setsuna clumsily curtsied to her mother and stuttered, "G-good eve—I mean good day, mother!" Once Little Setsuna peered cautiously at her mother, she saw a small smile on her fragile face. _

"_You don't have to be so formal. Come, sit down." Ananke motioned to the vacant chair across from her. Hurriedly, Setsuna took her seat. There was a hush in the air, in which Little Setsuna marveled at the sounds of birds chirping and the faint sound of a waterfall. Finally, Ananke set down her knitting and turned to Setsuna with a warm smile. "Why have you come?" she asked in a caring voice. _

_Setsuna looked to her shiny black Mary Jane's shyly, before saying innocently, "How do you fall in love?" Another smile spread across her mother's face. "My, my, our small empress is growing up faster than I hoped." She sighed. "Well, I can't tell you how to fall in love. You'll know how to be in love with someone one day—but passion comes with a price. It always does." A glazed look passed over Ananke's face. "It always does," she whispered again. Setsuna gazed at her mother curiously, wondering just what she meant by that._

Setsuna, once again, snapped back to reality. This time she was gasping for air. She took the bottle of water on the railings, and gulped it down. "Perhaps a bath will help," she murmured.


End file.
